In case you didn’t know, we’ve been living in Mexico for the past four months. It’s been interesting experiencing somewhat of an expat life in Mexico. But what’s surprised me was how inexpensive it was for us to be here. Even for one month in Mexico, life here for a family is quite affordable.

We knew that Mexico was affordable, but we didn’t really know how affordable it was. Now that we’ve been here for awhile, we are beginning to have a better idea of the prices in Mexico in comparison to other parts of the world. Prices here are a fraction of what they are in the United States. For families wanting to save a bit of money on a family vacation, Mexico is a great option!

Hanging out in La Paz, Mexico (February 2019)

Experiencing expat life in Mexico

Ever since I was young, I always wanted to experience what it’s like to be an expat. When I was little, my family lived in Indonesia for several years, and that experience of being an expat family really stuck in my memory. Now that we’re traveling, even though we’re passing through, we’re living somewhat of an expat life in Mexico.

We’re renting places in residential areas, rather than staying at hotels. We are frequenting local markets and grocery stores, rather than only eating at restaurants. And when we can, we are taking public transportation. All of these habits are giving us a good idea of the prices in Mexico, and providing us a chance to experience what living in Mexico is like.

Enjoying the beaches of Puerto Escondido (January 2019)

Our typical costs for one month in Mexico

For the most part, living the expat life in Mexico has been
relatively easy. Our typical costs for one month in Mexico have ranged from
$3,658 to $4,482, depending on the city. Airfare into and out of Mexico from
the United States will add about $1,600 to those costs. So our overall cost in Mexico is about $5,590 for one month.

Prices in Mexico are much cheaper than other North American
countries, as well as European countries. But you’ll find that most things you
need are readily available. Especially in the major cities.

Walking through the streets of Guanajuato (December 2018)

Flying in and out of Mexico

When it comes to airfare, the prices will depend on where
you are flying from. For our family, we flew into Mexico at the end of October.
Our one way tickets in and out of Mexico cost us around $750 coming in and $830
coming out. This was for a family of four.

If you’re planning to spend one month in Mexico, think about
the time of year that you will be traveling. Airfare costs tend to rise in the
spring and summer. But flying in the fall and winter months may yield you
cheaper prices. For our family, airfare
in and out of Mexico cost us around $1,600.

Flying Aeromexico into Mexico (October 2018)

Lodging

The next big ticket cost if you’re planning on spending one
month in Mexico is lodging. You can certainly spend your whole month staying at
hotels. Hotel prices in Mexico can be as cheap as $60 a day, or as expensive as
$300. It really depends on the type of hotels you want to stay at.

Our family is really keen on experiencing the expat life in Mexico, so for us, that means staying at vacation rentals, primarily Airbnb. As with the hotels in Mexico, you can certainly splurge on gorgeous Airbnb properties that can be upwards of $250-$350 per night. But for our family, we tend to go with more budget-friendly options. Our daily costs for lodging have ranged between $37-71, depending on the cities we’ve visited. Overall, for budget travelers like us, you can expect to pay around $1,520 for lodging for one month in Mexico.

Enjoying our Airbnb in Puerto Escondido (January 2019)

Groceries, snacks, and restaurants

If you’re not eating out at five star restaurants every day,
you’ll actually find that food prices in Mexico are pretty reasonable. We’ve
been able to feed our family of four for as little as 120 pesos (or $6) at a
taco stand. Of course, we’ve also spent over 1,200 pesos (or $60) when we
splurged on a dinner of fresh oysters and artisan burgers!

One of our tips for keeping food costs down is to shop at
the markets or grocery stores and cook food at home. We tend to limit our
restaurant outings to once per day. And for snacks, street vendors tend to be
cheaper than convenience stores like OXXO. Our daily food costs have ranged
from $34 to $55 per day. For one month in Mexico, we spend about $1,200 on food.

Walking through the market in Guanajuato (December 2018)

Buses and in-country flights

Getting around Mexico is relatively easy. There are buses like ETN, Primera Plus, and ADO, that can take you between cities. And there are also many domestic airlines that fly across the country. Our favorite airlines so far include Aeromexico, Aeromar, and Interjet. We like to take buses for short distances. But for longer distances, a domestic flight is much easier.

For the buses, aim to arrive between one hour to thirty
minutes before departure. But for flights, you should plan to be at the airport
at least an hour and a half before take-off. Many of the cheap domestic airlines
have long lines during check-in, so you don’t want to accidentally miss your
flight. Depending on where you plan to travel while you’re in Mexico, you can expect to spend around $290 for
buses or domestic flights.

Riding the bus in Mexico (November 2018)

Local transportation (within cities)

Within cities, it’s sometimes a toss up between taking taxis or taking Ubers. In bigger cities, Uber is much cheaper than a taxi. But in smaller cities, sometimes you’ll end up waiting upwards of twenty minutes for your Uber to come. Another option can be to take public transportation. We enjoyed riding the subway when we were in Mexico City. And we’ve tried the public buses in both Guanajuato and Puerto Escondido.

On average, we spend between $3 to $9 per day on local
transportation. This includes a combination of taxis, Uber, and public
transportation. If you’re going to be spending one month in Mexico, expect to spend around $170 for local
transportation.

Taxis and buses in Mexico City (October 2018)

Supplies and miscellaneous expenses

Since we’re living in Airbnbs while we travel, there are
occasional supplies that we need to buy to make our stay more comfortable. This
could be a stool for my son so he can reach the sink, or extra pans and cooking
utensils so we can cook. As I mentioned before, it’s not that hard to find the
things you need for your expat life in Mexico. This is true especially if
you’re in a city with a relatively large expat population.

We end up spending around $9 to $27 a day for supplies, but
it really depends on the location and the vacation rental property we’re
staying at. These costs can also include any medical costs you might need, as
well as new clothes or games for your family. You should expect to spend about $490 on supplies and miscellaneous expenses.

Enjoying boogie boards we bought (January 2019)

Activities and entertainment

The last set of costs to think about are for activities and
entertainment. Even if you’re planning on living the expat life in Mexico, it
doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of all the fun things the country
has to offer. In our time in Mexico, we’ve visited museums, climbed pyramids,
taken cooking classes, and even taken sea safaris!

Prices in Mexico vary when it comes to activities and
entertainment. If you’re on a budget, you can limit yourself to free or cheap
museums, and local activities like going to the movie theaters (they’re so much
cheaper than theaters in the US!). But if you’re willing to splurge, you can
spend a few hundred dollars per person on activities. On average, we spend
between $7 to $13 per day on activities and entertainment. If you’re a budget
travel family like us, you can expect to
spend about $320 on activities and entertainment.

Visiting pyramids near San Miguel de Allende (November 2018)

Taking advantage of cheap prices in Mexico

We’re all about getting the best value out of our
experiences. And this is no different when it comes to travel. For less than
the price of a Disney Cruise, you can easily spend one month in Mexico with
your family and have the time of your life!

If you’re thinking of ideas for your next vacation with your
family, consider taking advantage of the cheap prices in Mexico and take your
family to visit this beautiful country! You don’t have to fully do the expat
life in Mexico. You can certainly do more tourist-focused things while you’re
here. And you don’t have to stay for a whole month. Even a week in a city is
enough to make your trip worthwhile.

Have you spent time in Mexico with your family? Share your
thoughts on what it was like in the comments.